Cup lid

Abstract

A liquid container includes a brim forming a mouth opening into a product receiving chamber formed in a cup. A lid is coupled to the rim to close the mouth of the cup.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of producing a lid for a cup, the method comprising the steps of
 providing a non-perforated cover including a central closure and a ring-shaped brim mount arranged to surround the central closure, the ring-shaped brim mount being adapted to couple the non-perforated cover to a brim included in a cup, and the central closure including an elevated basin arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation above the ring-shaped brim mount and a product-retaining shell coupled to a perimeter of the elevated basin and arranged to extend downwardly away from the elevated basin to couple to the ring-shaped brim mount, and 
 converting the non-perforated cover into a perforated lid by making a utensil-receiver cut in the central closure to separate the elevated basin from the product-retaining shell to cause a utensil-receiving aperture to be formed in the central closure that is adapted to receive a utensil therethrough. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the product-retaining shell includes a curved product-retaining wall coupled to the ring-shaped brim mount to extend upwardly away from the ring-shaped brim mount and a top wall extending between and interconnecting the curved product-retaining wall and the elevated basin. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the top wall includes a proximal end coupled to the curved product-retaining wall and a distal end coupled to the elevated basin and the distal end of the top wall defines the utensil-receiving aperture when the utensil-receiver cut is made. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the top wall includes an upper ring coupled to the curved product-retaining wall, a lower lip coupled to the elevated basin to lie in space-apart relation to the upper ring, and a medial band extending between and interconnecting the upper ring and the lower lip. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the top wall includes an upper ring coupled to the curved product-retaining wall, a lower lip coupled to the elevated basin to lie in space-apart relation to the upper ring between the upper ring and the elevated basin, and a medial band extending between and interconnecting the upper ring and the lower lip. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the lower lip includes a first lip end coupled to the medial band and a second lip end spaced apart from the first lip end and the second lip end is the distal end of the top wall. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the upper ring lies in a first generally horizontal plane, the lower lip lies in a second generally horizontal plane, and the first and second generally horizontal planes are spaced apart from one another and generally parallel to one another. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the central closure further includes a central well appended to the elevated basin and arranged to extend away from the elevated basin toward the ring-shaped brim mount. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the central closure further includes a nub appended to the elevated basin to extend upwardly away from the ring-shaped brim mount. 
     
     
       10. A method of producing a lid for a cup, the method comprising the steps of
 providing a non-perforated cover including a central closure and a ring-shaped brim mount arranged to surround the central closure, the central closure including an elevated basin spaced above the ring-shaped brim mount and a curved product-retaining wall coupled to a perimeter of the elevated basin and arranged to extend downwardly to interconnect the ring-shaped brim mount and the elevated basin and 
 converting the non-perforated cover into a perforated lid by severing a portion of the central closure to cause the elevated basin to be separated from the curved product-retaining wall so that a utensil-receiving aperture is formed in the central closure. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the central closure further includes a nub appended to the elevated basin to extend upwardly away from the ring-shaped brim mount. 
     
     
       12. A method of producing a lid for a cup, the method comprising the steps of providing a non-perforated cover including a central closure and a ring-shaped brim mount arranged to surround the central closure, the central closure including an elevated basin arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation above the ring-shaped brim mount, a product-retaining shell coupled to a perimeter of the elevated basin and arranged to extend downwardly away from the elevated basin to couple to the ring-shaped brim mount, a central well appended to the elevated basin and arranged to extend away from the elevated basin toward the ring-shaped brim mount, and converting the non-perforated cover into a first perforated lid by making a utensil-receiver cut in the central closure to separate the elevated basin and central well from the product-retaining shell to cause a utensil-receiving aperture to be formed in the central closure. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the central closure further includes a nub appended to the elevated basin to extend upwardly away from the ring-shaped brim mount. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the central closure further includes a series of deformable product-identification domes formed in the elevated basin and arranged to extend upwardly away from the ring-shaped brim mount until a user applies a force to one of the series of deformable product-identification domes causing the one of the series of deformable product-identification domes to deform and extend downwardly toward the ring-shaped brim mount. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein each one of the series of deformable product-identification domes is spaced apart from every other one of the series of deformable product-identification domes and spaced apart from a straw receiver. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the elevated basin is formed to include a first aperture that is defined by the central well. 
     
     
       17. A method of producing a lid for a cup, the method comprising the steps of
 providing a first perforated lid including a central closure and a ring-shaped brim mount arranged to surround the central closure, the central closure including an elevated basin arranged to lie in spaced-apart relation above the ring-shaped brim mount, a product-retaining shell coupled to a perimeter of the elevated basin and arranged to extend downwardly away from the elevated basin to couple to the ring-shaped brim mount, a straw receiver appended to the elevated basin and arranged to extend away from the elevated basin toward the ring-shaped brim mount and 
 converting the first perforated lid by making a utensil-receiver cut in the central closure to separate the elevated basin and straw receiver from the product-retaining shell to cause a utensil receiving aperture to be formed in the central closure.